When we lived off base in Oceanside, Ca, we lived on a street named Calle Las Positas. Once I was told that Positas meant raisins, all I could see were the California Raisins dancing down our street outside the complex gate.

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Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself. You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars. You have a right to be here. Be cheerful, strive to be happy. -Desiderata

Austria seems to be rich in communities whose names are comical to English-speakers.

There are Windpassing, Rottenegg, Rottenmann, Mutters, and Natters.

And just on the Austrian side of the border with Germany, there is the village with the name which is the English vulgar two-syllable word (think rhymingly, broncos) for what eHell calls "playing scrabble". I understand that the local council wishes to change the village's name, just because it's such a pain that English-speaking visitors keep stealing as trophies, the "You are entering [village name]" signs.

There's a town in Austria which rather amuses me -- name "Bad Hall": a personal thing here, my surname being Hall.

The village of Piddle in Worcestershire was the first one I thought of. Most amusingly a local brewery markets a beer called "Piddle in the Hole" after that village.

Other amusing ones are Upper Slaughter and Lower Slaughter in Gloucestershire. Interestingly despite the name, Upper Slaughter is one of the few places that had no combat fatalities in either world war. Given the death rates in WW1 in particular that's pretty unusual.

Late on this one, but have just seen it -- context WW1 (WW2 was overall less lethal re the countries concerned) -- I understand that there are in all of Great Britain, just a couple of dozen villages, all of the men from which who went to the First World War, survived it. They are known as "Thankful villages", or "Luck parishes".

France suffered considerably worse losses in WW1, than did Britain: I have read that there is just one village in all of France, whose menfolk all survived that war.

Wedowee, Alabama. Now, it's not funny if you pronounce it correctly, but if you pronounce it the way I pronounced it the first time I saw the word shortly after coming down here, it's pretty hilarious.

And just on the Austrian side of the border with Germany, there is the village with the name which is the English vulgar two-syllable word (think rhymingly, broncos) for what eHell calls "playing scrabble". I understand that the local council wishes to change the village's name, just because it's such a pain that English-speaking visitors keep stealing as trophies, the "You are entering [village name]" signs.

And just on the Austrian side of the border with Germany, there is the village with the name which is the English vulgar two-syllable word (think rhymingly, broncos) for what eHell calls "playing scrabble". I understand that the local council wishes to change the village's name, just because it's such a pain that English-speaking visitors keep stealing as trophies, the "You are entering [village name]" signs.

A girl I work with went to this village solely because of the name. She took a picture with the sign, though, not the whole dang sign.

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After cleaning out my Dad's house, I have this advice: If you haven't used it in a year, throw it out!!!!.

Interestingly despite the name, Upper Slaughter is one of the few places that had no combat fatalities in either world war. Given the death rates in WW1 in particular that's pretty unusual.

Late on this one, but have just seen it -- context WW1 (WW2 was overall less lethal re the countries concerned) -- I understand that there are in all of Great Britain, just a couple of dozen villages, all of the men from which who went to the First World War, survived it. They are known as "Thankful villages", or "Luck parishes".

France suffered considerably worse losses in WW1, than did Britain: I have read that there is just one village in all of France, whose menfolk all survived that war.

52 from WW1 (originally thought to be 32), 14 doubly thankful villages - my great grandmother was from one. Upper Slaughter is another doubly thankful

This isn't a funny name but something DD and I were discussing this weekend. I'm a native Texans and I grew up pronouncing the Rio Grande without the "day" on the end of Grande. Though we knew the correct Spanish pronounciation, no one ever used it. But now it is common to hear Rio Grande with the "day" and according to DD is how it is referred to in school. DD thought it funny that my generation and prio ones used the Spanish word for river but combined it with an English pronounciation of grand.

Do other people have instances of mixing language pronounciation in names?

This isn't a funny name but something DD and I were discussing this weekend. I'm a native Texans and I grew up pronouncing the Rio Grande without the "day" on the end of Grande. Though we knew the correct Spanish pronounciation, no one ever used it. But now it is common to hear Rio Grande with the "day" and according to DD is how it is referred to in school. DD thought it funny that my generation and prio ones used the Spanish word for river but combined it with an English pronounciation of grand.

Do other people have instances of mixing language pronounciation in names?

There's a city in Colorado called Buena Vista. Which, I believe should be prounounced "Bwayna Veesta" but instead it's called/pronounced "Byou na Vista." For that matter, people native to Colorado pronounce the state "Ka la rad oh" where "rad" rhymes with "dad." And Nevada is pronounced "Neh vad uh" where "vad" rhymes with "dad." When we hear people say "Ne vah duh" we know they're from the East Coast.